A. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a method an a machine for the production of glassware articles and more specifically to a method and a machine, as an individual forming section including single or multiple cavities, which can be grouped to constitute a glassware forming machine of the type including multiple individual forming sections, normally including from six to eight individual forming sections, for the production of glass bottles, jars, tumblers and other glassware articles by the blow-and-blow, press-and-blow, press-and-blow paste mold or direct-press processes.
B. Description of the Related Art
Glassware articles such as narrow neck glass bottles are normally produced in glassware forming machines of the type which may include multiple similar forming sections, by the blow-and-blow process, while wide neck glass jars, tumblers and other glassware articles are produced in the so named “E” and “F” Series forming machines by the press-and-blow process, in both, the so named hot molds and paste mold.
Glass bottles known as narrow neck glass containers, can also be produced by the well-known press-and-blow process, in the above mentioned E and F machines.
Nowadays the production velocity or forming cycles of the machines including multiple-sections and E and F machines, have reached to an optimum status and the maximum number of glassware articles has been achieved by providing multiple cavities (usually two to four) in each individual forming section of the machine.
Looking for an increasing in the number of glassware articles per forming cycle on each section of the machine, attempts have been made to introduce additional forming stations in each section, for example an additional article forming apparatus (blow mold, blow head) which could carry out a forming task (receiving a just formed parison from a single parison forming apparatus and beginning the forming blown), while another similar equipment is carrying out a following forming task on the forming cycle (opening the blow mold for transferring a just formed article to a cooling dead plate and being prepared to receive another following parison from the parison forming apparatus).
Representative of such forming machines, are the so named “one-two station machines”, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,094,656; 4,137,061 and 4,162,911 of Mallory, including a single stationary parison forming station and two article finishing stations, one finishing station at each side of the parison forming station in the same line known as the “cold-side” of the machine, eliminating the so named hot-side, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,244,756 and 4,293,327 of Northup, disclosing a single parison forming station placed in the hot-side of the machine, and two article finishing stations, mounted one above the other on a lifting and lowering mechanism, alternatively rising and lowering each forming station for forming the articles.
However, by increasing the number of forming stations, the number of forming molds and surrounding equipment (either for single or multiple cavities) are consequently increased, increasing in turn the operation cost of the machine.
Other attempts to increase the velocity of production and the quality of the glassware articles in the multiple-section machines and E and F machines, has been focused on providing three consecutive forming stations, comprising a first parison forming station, an intermediate station for re-heating and/or stretching of the parison, and a third station for finishing the glassware article.
Representative of these “three station” forming machines are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,914,120; 4,009,016; 4,010,021 of Foster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,177 of Fenton; U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,178 of Braithwite; U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,179 of Foster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,076 of Fenton; U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,725 of Fujimoto and U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,136 of Northup.
The differences between each of these three step forming processes disclosed by the above U.S. patents, can be firstly determined by the parison forming orientation in an upright orientation, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,914,120; 4,009,016; 4,010,021, all of them of Foster, and 4,255,178 of Braithwait, and in an inverted orientation, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,177 of Fenton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,179 of Foster, U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,725 of Fujimoto, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,136 of Northrup.
Further differences between the above disclosed three step forming processes, are determined by the apparatuses to transfer the parison and finished article through the parison forming step, the intermediate step and the finishing and take out steps.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,914,120; 4,009,016; 4,010,021, and 4,255,178 disclose a linear transference of the parison in an upright position from the parison forming station, to the intermediate station, then a linearly transference of the parison from the intermediate station to a blow molding station, and finally, a linearly transference of the finished article, to a cooling dead plate.
Unlikely to the above disclosed glassware forming machines and apparatuses, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,555,177; 4,255,179; 4,325,725, and 4,507,136, disclose a first transference step including inverting of the parison from an inverted position at the parison forming station, to an upright position at the intermediate station; a second linear transference step from the intermediate station to a final forming (blowing) station; and a third linear transference step from the final forming station to the cooling dead plate. The second and third linear transference steps being carried out by a generally similar transference apparatus.
Other differences between the apparatuses disclosed in the above-referred patents can be found in connection with the very specific apparatuses to carry out the transference of the parison and the final glassware article.
The main objective sought by the introduction of the intermediate station in these glassware forming machines, has been to release the task of a previous mechanism to be in an conditions to repeat a new forming cycle, without having to wait that a following mechanism performs its respective task, to turn back at its original position to begin a new forming cycle.
However, the above objectives have been difficult to be achieved because of the configuration of the mechanisms constituting the machine, which have been the same as the conventional and well-known ones.
Applicants, looking for a win-to-win machine, i.e. seeking to obtain the objectives of increasing the velocity of the machine and a reduction of the forming cycle time, the efficiency of its performance and an increasing in the quality of the articles to be produced, as well as seeking to make standard some mechanisms which perform similar tasks, and equipping them only with their specific instruments to perform their specific function, reducing as much as possible the cost of equipping a machine, the number of mechanisms in storage, and simplicity of mounting the specific instruments on common mechanisms and apparatuses, applicants reached to the following concept of a new glassware forming machine comprising a combination of some new apparatuses, and a new method for the production of hollow glassware articles.
In the first place, applicants visualized that an intermediate station is conveniently necessary so that the re-heating of the glass surface of a just formed parison be continued outside the blank mold in order to immediately release the task of the blank mold, enabling it to carry out another forming cycle, and permitting to carry out a stretching of the parison, all of which also results in an increase in the velocity of production and in a better quality of the article.
Additionally, applicants recognized that the inverting arm including a neck ring mold, of a typical inverting mechanism, had to be in a standing position during a parison forming cycle and to wait for the opening of the blank mold, to initiate the inverting cycle, release the parison at the intermediate station and turn back at the parison forming position, to begin another forming cycle.
To overcome the former disadvantage, applicants introduced a new inventive concept for the inverting apparatus, consisting in providing two diametrically opposed and stepped inverting arms, each holding a transferable and open-able neck ring mold (either single or multiple-cavity), so that a first one of said arms, after a parison has been formed at a first parison forming cycle, can firstly rotate 180° clockwise (moving the parison upwardly constricting it) or counterclockwise (moving the parison downwardly stretching it) to release the parison held by a first transferable and open-able neck ring mold, at the intermediate station, while the second arm with a second transferable and open-able neck ring mold is simultaneously placed under the blank mold to perform a second parison forming cycle, and then the first arm with an empty transferable and open-able neck ring mold which has been turned back to said first arm, rotates additional 180° completing a 360° turn, to be placed under the blank mold for a third parison forming cycle, while the second arm is releasing the parison held by the corresponding transferable and open-able neck ring mold, at the intermediate station. In this way, the blank mold do not have to wait that the first arm release the parison at the intermediate station and turn back, to initiate a new parison forming cycle.
New first and second transferable and open-able neck ring molds (either single or multiple-cavity) are provided to be held and handled with absolute independence by each of the arms of the inverting apparatus, by the longitudinal transference apparatus and by the take out apparatus, have also been provided in order to improve the quality of the final product by handling the parison by the neck ring at a uniform temperature, thus avoiding that the formed parison had to be handled by other components at different temperatures which may cause checks, efforts or deformations in the parison, which result in a poor quality of the finished articles.
The independence and transference ability of these transferable and open-able neck ring molds of the present invention, is possible in the machine of the present invention because of the existence of the unidirectional indexing-rotary inverting apparatus including the first and second stepped and diametrically opposed arms, which are able to hold a transferable and open-able neck ring mold, so that, while a first transferable and open-able neck ring mold is transferred from the first arm at the intermediate station to the blown molding station for forming a finished article, the second arm with a second transferable and open-able neck ring mold is placed at the parison forming station, in a parison forming cycle and once the parison is formed and able to be inverted at the intermediate station, the first arm has received back the first transferable and open-able neck ring mold and rotated other 180° completing a 360° turn, to be placed again at the parison forming station.
Also, although a typical baffle apparatus could be included in the machine, mainly for the blow-and-blow forming process, this apparatus can be configured in accordance with the machine of the present invention, by including a new oscillating apparatus named “rotolinear apparatus”, which may also be useful for operating a glass gob guide channel, the blank mold apparatus, the final blow apparatus and any other apparatus, for firstly rotate, then place an actuating mechanism to their respective active positions, and then retire them to an initial inactive position, which includes a new configuration of cams and cam followers to impart reliable oscillation and lowering and lifting movements, overcoming any backlash which could cause misalignment of the baffle apparatus or any other apparatuses, with the following apparatuses of the forming sequence.
A new equalizing apparatus has also been provided at the baffle apparatus and at the final blow apparatus, for multiple-cavity, for mounting bottom blank mold heads and uniformly place them on the blank molds or the blow molds, effectively adjusting whatever misarrange which may exist both, in the baffle or blow heads, or in the blank mold or blow molds.
In this way, this new glassware forming machine overcomes a number of difficulties of the known glassware forming machines, affording a win in the forming cycle time, which is estimated at a 32.6%, and allows an increase in the production and an improvement in the quality of the hollow glassware articles, as will be specifically disclosed in the following detailed description of the invention.